Preview Romania: A Digest History

Romania has a rich and complex history, which I never quite understood, until I decided to study and summarize the history section in Welcome to Bucharest and Romania, gifted to us by the concierge at EuropaRoyale Hotel Bucharest in 2019. After finishing this project, I understand the many changes in power that make Romania what it is today, a beautiful, vibrant country that still shows some of the scars of its past. 

Romania, situated between the Danube River and the Carpathian Mountains, can trace its population back to the Stone Age. Things went along smoothly from then until the area was invaded by what we know as Dacians, a warrior culture with weapons far superior to the native people. The Dacians, a subsect of the Thracians, lauded by Herodotus, prayed to solar gods and performed human sacrifices.

Caesar, the Roman Emperor, tried to defeat the Dacians, but his own assassination thwarted that effort. After two long wars, (101-102, 105-106 AD) Roman Emperor Trajan defeated the Dacians, and a new Roman province was founded called Dacia Felix (Blessed Dacia). Soon after, barbaric invasions began as the Roman Empire fractured, and Emperor Aurelian abandoned Dacia. This was the beginning of the end for the Roman Empire.

The groups that invaded Romania were plentiful as the Roman Empire fell. They included the Goths, Visigoths, Huns, Gepids, Avars, Slavs, Cumans, Hungarians, and Bulgarians. This is when the first whispers of Romanian folk appeared, as they tried to avoid the invaders, but the incursions were too plentiful and frequent.

The Bulgarians created states, including the Bulgarian Tsardom, which managed to defend the kingdom against the Mongols. The Hungarian invaders established two medieval states, Wallachia and Moldavia, in the 1300s. Inhabitants in both of those states had unsuccessfuly tried to resist the Hungarian crown as independent kingdoms. 

Along came the Ottomans, who sought to conquer all of Europe. They succeeded in controlling much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa for 600 years. During this time, various leaders resisted the Ottomans, including Vlad III, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler. Vlad became the model for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. By 1600, Michael II the Brave had united Wallachia, Moldova, and Transylvania. This became the precursor of modern Romania.

After 1711, Wallachia and Moldavia entered the Phanariotes’ Regime (part of Ottoman control). The Phanariotes resided in Phanar, the Greek quarter of Constantinople. Their empire was associated with much corruption. In 1821, when the Greeks sought independence, so did Wallachia. A revolt in 1848 was crushed but in 1859, in compliance with Napoleon II, Wallachia and Moldova were united.

In 1866, the United Principalities of Romania was formed with Prince Karl from Germany reigning over it. Then in 1877, Prince Karl joined with Russia against the Ottomans, and his army was so successful that Romania declared herself a kingdom and emerged as a local center of power. 

When the Great War began in 1914, Romania did not get involved right away. King Carol, of German descent, would have been inclined to join the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria), but public opinion was against that because of the “Transylvanian” or “National” question, in which it was to be decided whether or not Transylvanians would be considered part of Romania or part of Hungary.

When Romania entered the World War in support of the Entente Powers (Russia, France, United Kingdom), it was not well-equipped nor adequately supported by the Entente members and by May of 1918, it was forced to sign the Treaty of Bucharest with the Central Powers. The terms were harsh, but soon the Central Powers were forced to retreat after the Hundred Days Offensive. 

In the meantime, Russia was dealing with the Bolshevik Revolution. The new Bolshevik power perceived Romania as non-supportive and seized the treasure it had placed in Moscow for safekeeping in 1916 before the German invasion. In addition, many Romanians were living in Hungary, and the prime minister of Hungary deported many priests and teachers to special camps.

Even though Romania lost 220,000 soldiers in WWI, it emerged stable, and Transylvania, Baessarabia, and Bukovina joined the Kingdom. At the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920), Greater Romania was internationally recognized and many held high hopes for the country’s future. 

Unfortunately, in 1938, Romania’s King Carol II chose the role of dictator, suspending the democratic constitution and banning all political parties. As WWII began, Russia began to make demands on Romania, including the evacuation of Bessarabia. Romania had no choice but to comply. Then through a territory dispute, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy awarded northern Transylvania to Hungary.

As Germany invaded Poland, King Carol II abdicated the throne to his son, Mihai I. General Ion Antonescu became chief of state and formed the Iron Guard movement. He took Romania to war, supporting Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union. In 1944, facing complete destruction of his country, King Mihai I stripped Antonescu of his power and signed an armistice with the Soviet Union.

The Red Army consequently occupied Romania and in 1948, it was declared a “Popular Democracy,” as were all the regimes imposed by the Soviets in Eastern Europe. Industry was nationalized, social elites went to prison, and agricultural property was confiscated. This was the new socialist ideology.

In 1965, Nicolae Ceaușescu became prime-secretary of the communist party and ruler of the Socialist Republic of Romania. By 1974, the communist party had built a “cult of personality” for Ceaușescu, and he became known as the “most beloved son of the people.” He aimed to redesign cities across the nation, with his pet being Bucharest.

In 1989, after 40 years of communism, a popular revolt overthrew Ceaușescu’s regime. In 2004 Romania joined NATO, and in 2007, the European Union. The country had finally returned to Europe, but according to Welcome to Bucharest, “the scars inflicted by totalitarianism are still visible as much as the architectural marks were left behind.”

So, there you have it. The digest history of Romania according to Welcome to Bucharest and Romania. We are looking forward to our return to this beautiful country in 2022.

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